The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-07-14
1fGoS yR&IIlS.I
ONLY ACTIVE veLCASOIN NORTH
AMERICA.
A Reporters Journey Of Investiga-
tion to BavIspe "A Thrilling
Expei ience.

praphed as follows from FL Psso:
Ihave Just returned from the scene
Of the only active volcano in Nor'h
America. The trip was one Of ex-
tfaordinaty hardship, accomplished
in the face Of obstacles Of which the
entire absence Of any road, an arid
desert Of ever 100 miles acioss, and
the blizirg Gun Of tropical zone
were conspicuous features. The vol
cano lies twelve miller, as the crow
flies, from Bavispe, in the State OF 3d.
noia, in the extreme northwest Of the
Mexican Republic. A rough estimate
will place the stance from FL Psso at
400 miles. The rugged and desolate
nature Of the country, the infrequency
Of Its spriEgs and
THE ALMotT DEADLY HKAr
that exists there nine months out OF
the twelve has feciually kept out the
American prosps ctor, although the
mountains are full OF god, and even
the hardy Mexican BIAS largely left II
TO Its primal solitude. Here and there
are scattered villages Of which Bavispe
is q type. The town lies south OF
Casas Grandas. II contains about $500
souls, II you count soul to each In.
habitant. They are 30 miserably poor
and live In condition OF such indes-
cribable fqualor and perpetual misery
that their lot compsres unfavoiaoly
with the wandering coyote, their
nearest neighbor. We went by way
OF the Carralitos Hacienda, on the
Britton Davis rancho, lying about due
east OF Bavispe, In the State Of Chi.
huAhua. To conceive the fatigue and
ardor OF the trip one must add q blfz.
ing sun that scared and ehriveled the
very granite, q parched and alkali-
laden wind blowing at midday and
filing the thIoa. with Its smartipg
particles and q reflection from the
earth that was like the breath OF q
furnace. We were well supplied with
ropes and tackle, which we had fire.
Quent occasion 10 use, for, although II !
Is proverbial that the burro can cross
places where angels Tear TO tread, We |
were obliged TO abandon our pack |
train almost al the outset, The eighth
IA: LAY u5roush.. ..s..s explorers into the
vicinity OF Bavispe; but u little prior
TO this We had the first intimation OF
cosmic disturbance In the shape Of
A rLuTrrRIso rRKxoR or THE EARrn.
These shocks, which were slight and
undulating, increased In frequency
as we drew near the town until tcarce-
ly an hour passed without repetition
OF them. We came In sight OF Bsvispe
about 10 o'clock In the morning, and
the first thing that met our sight was a
huddled encampment Of teverL hun.
dred people on the broad mesa that
tanks the town. Bavispe Itself may DO
spoken Of In the past tense-it no
longer exists. On the LIST OF last May,
lust al the gray Of dawn, the villagers
were awakened by q sickening shud.
der OF the earth, followed by quick
tremor thatreduced haif the adobes OF
the place 10 ruins. Creeping out from
the wreck Of their dwellings, they
sought safety on the level ground,
where q sort OF encampment was
formed, and thence In time the entire
village migrated. Since that morn
ing OF desolation and terror there has
been no day unaccompanied by an
earthquake. Sometimes II has been 80
violent an 10
LOOSEN NAssEg on ROCK.
and open vast assures In the noun.
tain's side, and sometimes II 10 an al.
most imperceptiblo vibration, but
never has II entirely ceased, and the
superstitious Mexicans have given
then selves up 10 the apathy OF de-
spAir. Our appearance, which In other
times would have convulsod the VII
lage with excitement, scarcely at
tracted attention. A lew half naked
men aud hsggard women staggered
out Of their tenements oil brush 10
meet us, but many glanced from their
open doorwaJs aud made no eign.
TIE town, or rather what was the
town, looks ike the broken toy VII.
lsge OF child. There In not house
left standing. shattered heaps a
adobes and yawning holes mark the
site, and mingled In the ruins ara the
few utensils OF their domestic life, for
which tuperstltlous terror forbade
them 10 return. Many have gone
toward she south, but the bulk Of The
people are far too poor 10 undertake a
journey, which, without resources,
meabs death, and 90 they have ctmpsd
within sight Of the wreck Of their
homes 10 mute and pathetic helpless.
nena.
THE MORTALITY
which attended the disaster must
have been great, bat Il was impossible
10 draw any OF them into converse
ton, and quite 90 10 obtain any accu-
rate information. Over twenty sunken
places In the mesa marked recent
graves, and 40 many more dead are
probably lying In the rulna. From
Bavispe We had our first sight Of our
objective point-the volcano. A pen.
nant OF smoke, trailed by the wind
from low, tquare topped peak 10 the
southeast, defined lie location; while
q dull and mutiering roaf, almos, In.
ceeeant, told thpt the forces OF nature
were at work. The volc,no lies about
twelve miles from the site OF the town,
but over such an extraordinarily
broken tract Of country that W. real.
lied At once that II wonld require two
dayt journey TO reach ", and pushed
straight ahead without delay. The
phen lmena which We had observed
at BAvispe increased In volume as We
approached the mountains. We fol-
lowed the dry bed Of the ttream
which at tome former period, had
worn q cEuseway through the granite.
II was broken by the hssurcs
OF evident recent origin, running
from north 10 south, end in some cases
four or Eve feet broad and OF an un.
known depth. spriuging from one Of
these, about four miles out, We ehcoun.
tered geyser tivairg any Ct those In
the National PAX. II IL In the center
OF q circular basin, with sides Of saod
and mud, and about forty feet In 81
ameter. At intervals Of fifteen min
utes an immense stream OF boilin,
water leaps out and MP 20 height OF
Iebould judge, sixty feet. The geyse
npOuts for four or five minuies an,